Are scientists close to finding a cure for atopic dermatitis?
While rapid advancements in medical research have been made in recent years, scientists do not expect to find a cure for atopic dermatitis any time soon. It is anticipated that current research will eventually lead to revolutionary new ways to diagnose, treat, and perhaps even prevent atopic dermatitis. These hopes are based on knowledge that surfaced during the Human Genome Project, an enormous 13-year effort with goals that included identifying the genes in human DNA and determining the sequences that make up human DNA. It was work on the Human Genome Project that led to the discovery of a gene mutation that can lead to melanoma. This same discovery has accelerated the search for gene mutations involved in three other inherited conditions – diabetes, leukemia, and atopic dermatitis. While this is promising, people with atopic dermatitis should not expect results in the near future. The research in progress takes years to conduct, and many more years of study are needed before a safe
